


Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night

by flibbertygigget



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Gen, Hand of the Emperor, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Leia is Scary, Luke Skywalker is Good and Pure, Poor Obi-Wan, Poor Padme, Protective Leia, Protective Luke, Sibling Relationship, The Dark Side is Really Dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-07 11:59:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10359924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flibbertygigget/pseuds/flibbertygigget
Summary: The first time Luke notices it, he's four years old.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Man and a Woman and a Blackbird](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7952323) by [GoddessofRoyalty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessofRoyalty/pseuds/GoddessofRoyalty). 



The first time Luke notices it, he's four years old.

He's curled up on Uncle Obi's lap, sucking his thumb and half-asleep, when it happens. Dad comes in the room, and Uncle Obi's arms around Luke grow a little tighter. Then Dad tries to pick Luke up and take him away from Uncle Obi.

Luke starts to wail. He doesn't _want_ to go with Dad. He's warm and happy and, besides, Dad doesn't feel like Uncle Obi does. Where Uncle Obi's light and soft and good, Dad's a dark storm, all sharp edges and heavy clouds that billow around him like his cloak. He's fun to play with, sometimes, but Uncle Obi's much better for naps.

"Hush, Luke," Dad says, and Luke opens his eyes to glare at him, pouting.

"Don't wanna go with you. I want Uncle Obi!" The Force roils and seeths with darkness as Dad's eyes turn from yellow-rimmed blue to bright, dangerous amber. For a moment everyone, Dad and Mom and Uncle Obi and _everyone_ , is frozen. Then Dad drops Luke onto the hard floor, dislodging the cries that had stopped for a moment, and the spell is broken.

"Anakin-" Uncle Obi starts, but then Dad reaches out and the words stop, replaced with a horrible rasping _thing_ as Uncle Obi claws at his throat.

"You're doing it again! You're trying to turn him against me, my own _son_!" Uncle Obi's shaking his head frantically and Leia's screaming and Dad doesn't look like he's going to stop-

So Luke does the only thing he can think of and latches onto Dad's leg. Dad looks down at him, and the red drains from his eyes until it's just at the edges again, like normal. Dad picks Luke up and hugs him. Over Dad's shoulder, Luke can see that Uncle Obi is taking deep breaths and the horrible sounds are gone.

"Oh, Luke,I'm so sorry," Dad says. "I love you. I didn't mean to frighten you."

And Luke, because he's only four, believes him.

* * *

When Luke and Leia are seven, Uncle Obi teaches them to meditate, to release their feelings into the Force. When Dad finds out, he drags Uncle Obi into the bedroom and they disappear for a while. The next day Uncle Obi has a black eye and is sitting kind of funny.

Mom says to only meditate what Dad's away and not to ask Uncle Obi about what happened.

Even when meditating, Leia doesn't feel like she used to. Luke remembers synchrony, before, when their Force signatures seemed to bleed together until they could barely be told apart. But now... now Leia feels different. She's rougher now, harsh edges kind of like Dad's minus the darkness. Luke wants to do something to help her, but he doesn't know how.

"What do I feel like?" he asks her one day.

"Huh?" Leia says.

"In the Force. What do I feel like?"

"I dunno. A lot like Uncle Obi, I guess. You're not as sad as him, though."

"Uncle Obi's sad?" Leia rolls her eyes. She's always quicker than him at these kinds of things, at figuring people out.

"Isn't it obvious?" she says. "Dad's hurting him. He's hurting both him and Mom really bad, and soon he's going to try to hurt us too."

"But Dad says he loves us!" Luke says.

"He says he loves Mom, but that doesn't stop him from hurting. What makes you think we're any different?" Luke has to admit that she's right, as usual. He chews on his bottom lip.

"Is that why you feel different now?" he asks. "Is it because you figured out that Dad's hurting people?" From the way that Leia's fists clench, Luke knows that he got it right.

"I don't get why Dad would hurt them! It doesn't make sense!" Leia bursts out.

"He always says sorry and that he loves them," Luke says.

"Just to Mom, not to Uncle Obi. Besides," Leia says, "him saying sorry doesn't matter if he keeps _doing_ it. Force, I'm mad at him!"

"Uncle Obi says that we should release those feelings into the Force," Luke says. Leia glares at him.

"I don't care," she says. "He _deserves_ for people to be mad at him. I'm never gonna forgive him for hurting them, not ever."

"But he's _Dad_ ," Luke says. The idea of not forgiving Dad is absolutely unimaginable.

"He's not, though, not really. He's not anything like a dad is supposed to be." Leia pauses, glaring down at the floor like it is Dad. "I wish that Uncle Obi was our Dad instead."

Luke doesn't know if one should decide these things at seven, but he has to admit that he agrees with his sister.

* * *

When they're eleven, it all breaks open.

Leia isn't any better about releasing her feelings into the FOrce, not even with Uncle Obi helping her all the time. She still feels different, growing harder and sharper with each passing day. Luke doesn't think that it's _that_ big of a deal. She's still his sister. But Uncle Obi and Mom seem really worried about it.

"She has too much of _him_ in her," Luke overhears Mom say one night when he is sneaking to the kitchen for some blue milk. He freezes, and then he moves closer to the door. He hears Uncle Obi sigh.

"She's young," he says, "and she's seen much. I'll work with her."

"And what makes you think _you_ can help her?" Luke flinches. He's never heard such bitter hatred in anyone's voice before, and it was coming from _Mom_.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Uncle Obi pauses. "Besides, I seem to remember a young Queen who was willing to do anything, to go up against Senates and armies, to keep her people safe."

"Don't you dare pin this on me."

"She is more your daughter than you realize, Padmé. She sees something she knows is wrong, and she desperately want to right it. She can't, and all that goodness and passion turns in on itself. Yes, she is angry, but it isn't - it isn't like with Anakin. She isn't-"

"Can you promise that? Can you honestly say that she won't turn on me at the first opportunity like _he_ did?"

"We all have the potential to Fall." Luke can _hear_ the capital letter, the weight of the word. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to see that it doesn't come to that with her."

"See that you do," says Mom coldly. Luke sneaks back to the room he shares with Leia, a dull pain in the pit of his stomach. He doesn't understand half of what Mom and Uncle Obi were talking about, but he knows enough.

It almost seems like fate when Leia chooses the next morning to tell Dad what she really thinks of him.

Luke knows how often she's wanted to give Dad a piece of her mind. She's always managed to keep a tenacious grip on control, but it was only a matter of time before she was pushed too far. It's scary, Luke won't deny it, but at the same time it's kind of... comforting, if that's the right word. It's comforting to know that, no matter what Mom and Uncle Obi are worried about, Leia will always be on Luke's side.

Luke tries not to think too hard about how her being on his side means being _not_ on Dad's side. It's too much for him to figure out.

"You're both growing so strong in the Force," Dad says to them over breakfast. "Especially you, Leia." Leia doesn't smile or preen like Luke would've; she just glares at her plate and stabs an egg. "Soon enough the Emperor himself will want to train you, I bet." Luke can feel how the Force curdles around Uncle Obi and Mom at that, but they don't say anything. They can't.

"Even if he does, I won't let him," Leia says sullenly. The Force freezes, the moment horribly fragile spun-glass.

"What do you mean?" Dad says. The yellow around his irises begins to seep inward.

"I mean that I wouldn't want to learn from a horrid, wrinkly old man like the Emperor," Leia says. "I want to be a Jedi, like Uncle Obi." The Force roars and rears like a wild beast as Dad's eyes suddenly burn amber.

"Where did you hear that word? WHERE?" Leia glares at him, seemingly unaware of just how dangerous the Force around Dad feels.

"None of your business!" she says.

"Answer me! I am you _father_!"

"Well, I wish you weren't! I wish Uncle Obi was my dad! He'd be way better than you!" The Force seems to tear itself in two as Dad grabs Leia by her braid and Uncle Obi by his arm. Luck covers his ears against the screaming as the Force writhes in pain, but he can't block out Dad's voice, deep and dark and booming.

"You want to be a Jedi? I'll show you what happens to scum and traitors, girl! You are _mine_ and when I'm done you _will_ join me!" Just like that, they're gone, Dad's door slamming behind them. Luke uncurls from his protective ball and tries to go after them, but Mom catches his arm and stops him.

"Don't," she says.

"But Leia - And Uncle Obi's gonna-" Mom shakes her head.

"Leia should have controlled herself," she says darkly.

It's an hour before the Force stops tearing itself to shreds and Leia finds him in their room, curled beneath his bed. Luke can tell from her bloodshot eyes that she's been crying.

"Leia?" he says. "Are you okay? Did Dad hurt you?" Leia shakes her head, but her entire body is trembling.

"I hate him," she says. "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" Luke shifts and pats the space next to him. Leia crawls under the bed, close enough for him to feel her body heat.

"What'd he do?" Luke says. "I felt - The Force was-"

"He hurt Uncle Obi," Leia says, and her voice holds as much hatred as Mom's had the night before. "He - He made lightning come out of his hands and then he held him down and-" She breaks off with a sob. "I couldn't help him. I couldn't look away. Dad used the Force for that. He - He said that that's what happens to Jedi, that if I didn't listen to him he'd-"

"He'd what?"

"He'd hurt you and me just like he hurt Uncle Obi." Leia isn't crying anymore. "I hate him. I'm not going to listen to him, not ever. Being a Jedi would be better than being like Dad." She shifts closer to Luke, curling around him. "But we have to be careful, really careful. We can't let Dad or the Emperor know that we're not really on their side, or else-" She's shaking even harder now. Luke squeezes her arm. "I don't want to see you or Uncle Obi hurt like that ever again."

"I don't want you to be hurt either," Luke says, and then he hugs her. He doesn't know what else to do.

* * *

Luke is thirteen when he's finally brought in front of the Emperor. Leia was brought to him for further training only a month after she and Dad had their fight, but it took far longer for Dad to agree to give Luke to him for training. Luke doesn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, it hurts that Dad seems to think that he's not as powerful or as capable as Leia. On the other hand, he's seen what being the Hand of the Emperor has done to Leia. She hasn't told him everything she's been forced to do, but she's told him enough, and, besides, he _knows_ Leia better than he knows himself, more than well enough to read between the lines.

He knows enough that, as he follows Dad into the throne room, he feels afraid.

"Luke, my boy," the Emperor says. "Come closer." Luke glances over at Dad, and he nods. Luke steps forward hesitantly and bows.

"It is an honor to meet you, your Majesty," Luke says.

"There is no need for such formality, young Skywalker," the Emperor says. "You may simply call me Emperor." Luke bows again. He is aware of the tightrope he walks on, of how one wrong move on his part would cause the thin facade of civility and kindliness to drop from the old man in front of him, and he can't afford the Emperor's wrath. There is too much at stake.

"Why have you called me her, Emperor?" Luke asks. The Emperor smiles coldly.

"I have heard from your sister that you have shown yourself to be quite strong in the Force," he says, "and yet you still are... weak."

"What do you mean?" Luke feels sick. It's beginning to dawn on him that there was no possibility of him getting out of this meeting painlessly. The Emperor knows too much about him.

"In spite of the teachings of Lord Vader, your _father_ , you have stubbornly refused to touch the Dark Side." The Emperor stands, and Luke has to suppress a flinch. Dad is unnaturally still behind him, barely even breathing. "I wonder what you could possibly hope to gain from this... perversity."

"Nothing, my Lord." The Emperor's smile falls away.

"Nothing?" he says.

"Nothing." Luke tries to stop his roiling stomach. It would be really embarrassing to throw up now. The Emperor's eyes are cold and cruel as he raises a skeletal hand.

"Nothing will come of nothing," he hisses, and then lightning bursts from his hand and hits Luke. Luke falls on the cold floor, and it hurts and burns and-

"Dad! Dad, help me!" he yells, but Dad doesn't listen, just stands there, impassive. The lightning finally stops, but Luke can't stand. His limbs are trembling, and he's staring up at Dad like he's never seen him before.

He has always thought, or perhaps just hoped, that his Dad would help him if he needed it, in spite of everything. But this... Luke is no fool. Dad doesn't care about him, doesn't feel anything when Luke is on the ground writhing in pain.

Luke feels the last bit of faith he had that there was good left in Dad wither and die in his chest as he struggles to his feet and the Emperor cackles.


	2. Chapter 2

When Leia Skywalker is eleven years old, she's given over to the Emperor to be trained.

When she gets back from the Imperial Palace, she ignores Mom and Uncle Obi. She knows what they're looking for, what they fear in her. She doesn't want to have to smile and try to assure them that she isn't going to Fall. She doesn't want Dad looking at her like she's some precious _thing_. She just wants Luke.

Luke's so _Light_. Luke will help her make sense of things. Luke will help rid her of the Darkness that seemed to ooze from the Emperor.

The worst of it is that she can _feel_ how easy it would be to Fall. Even just during that one meeting, it had taken every ounce of Jedi training that Uncle Obi had secretly given her to not give into her feelings and kill the Emperor then and there. Hell, if it had just been her life at stake, she would have taken the chance and attacked him. But, no, she can't do that. There are Luke and Mom and Uncle Obi to think of, and she can't allow them to be hurt because of her.

Luke is meditating when she finds him in their room. He's been meditating almost constantly since she blew up at Dad. Leia doesn't want to disturb him, so she sits across from him, trying to fall into the meditation that she knows she needs. It doesn't work - she's never been able to meditate as easily as Uncle Obi or Luke - but just being near Luke is helping. Within ten minutes the Darkness of the Emperor's throne room is a distant memory.

"Did he hurt you?" Luke says quietly, as though he can feel her becoming able to actually confront the quagmire that's she's found herself in.

"Not physically," she says. Luke makes a soft, pained noise. "No, I'm being honest. He doesn't want to hurt me, not like that."

"Then what does he want?" Luke says. Leia takes a deep breath.

"The same thing Dad does. He wants me to Fall."

"You're not going to Fall." Luke says it so quickly and with such conviction that Leia knows he believes it.

"I'm going to try, but you didn't feel the Force there. I felt as though I was Falling just by being near him. And now he wants to train me, to have me do his dirty work. I don't even know if I'll..." Leia trails off, biting her lip. Luke looks at her, worried, waiting for her to continue. "I don't even know if I'll be allowed to stay here anymore. The Emperor wouldn't want me to be around you or Uncle Obi."

"I'll talk to Dad," Luke says. "I'll make sure you aren't sent away." Leia chokes on a small, bitter laugh.

"What makes you think that he'll listen to you?" she says. "He's the one who's making me train with the Emperor. He wants me to Fall, just like he did. There's no way that he'd allow me to stay here."

"I'll make him see things my way, you'll see. I won't let you be alone." Luke is so intense, so full of conviction, that Leia can't help but hope that he'll succeed.

"Okay, but be careful," she says. "I don't want him to hurt you." _Especially not because of me_ , Leia thinks.

"Don't worry." Luke smiles, and it's so reassuring that Leia wants to cry. "I know how to make him listen to me. I won't let him send you away forever. I never will."

* * *

 

It doesn't take Leia long to realize that being allowed to return home on the weekends is just another means of trying to hurt her and her family. No matter how hard she tries, she can't help but slip a little, not when she's the Emperor's Hand and can't rebel even for a moment for fear of him hurting them. The weekends aren't enough to rid herself of the Darkness that hangs around her, trying to seep through her skin and into her Force presence.

But despite that, she thinks that she'll be able to keep everything under control. As long as Luke stays in the Light, she can't Fall. He said that he wouldn't let her, and she believes him. But then, when they're thirteen, it all breaks open.

"Don't blame yourself," Luke says when she rushes into the medbay. He tries to sit up, but after the way the Emperor blasted him with Sith Lightning it's a miracle he's even conscious.

"Don't be stupid," Leia says. "This is my fault. If I had just done what he said, if I didn't come back to him feeling so Light-"

"It's not your fault," Luke says, and then he winces. Leia can barely look at him, can barely face what she's done.

"He could have killed you," she says.

"He wouldn't. He wants me to Fall, just like he wants you to. He wouldn't give that up so easily, not when it would make him more powerful to turn us."

"What do you think he wants to train you for?" Luke shrugs.

"He probably wants me to be a Hand like you." For the first time his voice wavers. Leia knows why. Her brother knows her as he knows himself, maybe better, and he's seen what being the Emperor's Hand has done to her. Leia feels sick. Luke won't survive it, not like she has. He's too Light, too good, and he'll either die or Fall. Either is completely unthinkable.

"I won't let him," Leia says. "I'll talk to him, try and get you to some other position." Luke shakes his head frantically.

"It's too risky," he says. "Don't risk everything on my account. I'll be fine." Leia opens her mouth to protest. "I'll be fine, really. Don't you trust me?"

"With everything," Leia says, and it's true. But right then and there she vows that somehow she'll get Luke out of there. She won't let her brother become like her, not while she still has her life.

* * *

 

It takes Leia until she's sixteen to secure the position she needs to carry out her plan. Truth be told, she's surprised that the Emperor would ever agree to let her become Mas Amedda's aide. He knows that she hasn't Fallen, not really, even though she can feel herself slipping closer with every damn mission.

Luke is almost as light as ever, even if there is a sharp edge to him that was never there before the Emperor began training him. She's had to hear Dad complain about it endlessly, still convinced that Leia is like him. It comforts her, especially since she only sees Luke officially now, with no room for them to really talk.

She is even more surprised when the Emperor allows her to return home briefly, Luke by her side. She is too cautious to take it for kindness, but she is grateful all the same. Her job will be immeasurably easier if she has information on the senators she should contact to carry out her plan, and to get that information there is no better person to ask than Mom. Leia can only hope that Mom will tell her in spite of everything.

"Mom? Uncle Obi?" Leia calls out. She can feel Luke behind her, every muscle in him tense and fearful when she receives no reply. Leia can only feel a faint kind of dread. Whatever has happened at home since she and Luke have left, the Emperor wants her to see it, which can only mean more Darkness.

"Uncle Obi!" Luke yells. Leia is about to do the same when the door of the fresher opens slowly and Mom emerges. Leia can instantly see that things have not been well. Mom's face is pale and thin, dark shadows under her eyes and every bit of furious life gone from her.

"Mom!" Luke says, face breaking into a smile. "Where's Uncle Obi?"

"He's in the bedroom," Mom says softly, emotionlessly. "You'd better go to him. He can't leave, Vader's seen to that." Luke glances at Leia, and she nods. She doesn't need his backup, and, besides, it's been too long since he's seen Uncle Obi. She can handle this delicate conversation by herself.

"Mom," she says, "are you... alright?" It's a stupid question, and Leia isn't surprised when Mom shakes her head.

"Vader has gotten worse since Luke left," she says slowly, as though every word is being torn from her against her will.

"If he's hurt you-"

"No more than usual." Mom sighs and drops her head in her hands. For a moment Leia thinks that she's going to break right then and there. "Obi-Wan's taken the worst of it. Vader hasn't - hasn't been pleased with you and Luke."

"I haven't Fallen." Leia can't help the bit of self-indulgent pride in her voice, her own private 'I told you so,' never mind that she knows her Fall is only a matter of time.

"No," Mom says, and she sounds exhausted. "I'm sorry." Leia can't think of what to say, so she says what she intended to say from the start.

"I have a plan," she says. "The Emperor's allowing me to become Mas Amedda's aide. If I can find people in the Senate, people who know of rebels or surviving Jedi, I can get you and Luke and Uncle Obi out."

"Leia..."

"I can convince them, I know I can. I just need to know if you have any friends in the Senate, people who you think I would be able to trust." Mom hesitates for a moment, but then she takes Leia's wrist and leads her into her bedroom. She opens the closet, and then she opens up the wood paneling on the back wall to reveal a sheet of paper. It's old and stained and folded, but when Leia takes it and begins to read her heart begins to beat faster.

"The Delegation of 2000," Mom says. "We assembled in the last days of the Republic, hoping to curb the Emperor's rise to power. I don't know how many are still in the Senate or even still alive, but you can trust them." She points to the names at the top of the paper. "Senator Organa and Senator Mothma were two of the organizers. If you can find them, and if there's any kind of rebellion, they'll be the ones to help you. Tell them I sent you."

"There is a Rebellion," Leia says. "They are far from completely organized, but I've come in contact with some cells. Do you really think that they'll be able to help me find them? They'll know that I'm connected to the Emperor."

"Wait for just a second. I'll give you something, a note in the code we used. Bail will trust you then." Leia nods and takes both papers, ensuring that they're secure in the hidden pocket of her dress.

"Can I see Uncle Obi now?" she asks. Mom nods.

The first thing that strikes Leia about the Uncle Obi's room is how cold it is, both physically and in the Force. He's alive, she can see that he's alive, but his Force presence is like a void. Luke looks up as she enters, and he's vibrating with anger.

"He cut him off from the Force!" Luke says. Leia curses.

"Language," Uncle Obi says, his dry humor a ghost of what Leia remembers. Still, he's smiling. "Leia, you've grown since I last saw you."

"What the Force happened? What changed?" Leia grips his hand, and it feels like ice. "I don't understand, I did everything they asked-"

"This isn't your fault." Now that she's closer, Leia can hear the way Uncle Obi's breath rattles in his chest. She shakes her head. "Trust me, Leia, there's nothing you could have done to make this better or worse. Vader is... volatile, and not even the Emperor himself can really keep him in line, not that he cares to."

"I'm going to get you out of here, all of you."

"What?" Luke says.

"I'm going to find the Rebellion and find a way to get you out of here. Don't worry."

"And what about you?" Luke says. Leia looks away from him.

"After you're safe, I'm going to kill the Emperor."

"But that's suicide!" Leia's eyes meet Uncle Obi's, and she can see that he understands.

"Luke," he says, "don't you want to help the Rebellion?"

"Of course," Luke says. "But Leia-"

"I'll be fine," she says.

"No, you won't! The Emperor's too strong! If you'd just come with us-"

"Do you honestly think they'd accept me after what I've done? I'm the Emperor's Hand, everyone knows it. You haven't done half of what I've done; you have a chance as long as you stick with Mom and Uncle Obi. I get you out of here, out from under Vader and the Emperor, and then I go kill the bastard. That's it."

"You'll die." Luke's voice is pleading, but Leia can't give into him. She can't risk asking for too much and leaving her family in the Darkness.

"I'll try not to," she says.

"You can't. Uncle Obi-"

"Leia's right." Uncle Obi sounds sad yet proud. Leia smiles at him. "Do what you have to, Leia. If I can contact Yoda, I'll ensure that the Jedi will always have a place for you."

"I don't need it," Leia says. "But thanks anyways." Uncle Obi shakes his head ruefully.

"There's still hope," he says. "No matter what happens, the Force will be with you." Leia nods, her resolve hardening. No matter what, she won't fail them. She can't.


End file.
